Shohei Ohtani drove in the tying run in the top of the seventh on Thursday as the Los Angeles Angels battled back to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 in an 11-inning duel.
Batting second in the lineup as designated hitter, Ohtani stepped to the plate with his team trailing 5-4 in the American League contest at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida.
The two-way star singled a line drive to right field off right-hander Jordan Romano, bringing home Dexter Fowler and locking the score at 5-5. That’s where the game remained until the 11th, when David Fletcher delivered a go-ahead, two-run single.
Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout led the way for the Angels, going 3-for-5, including a soaring solo home run off Blue Jays right-hander Ross Stripling that gave Los Angeles a 4-3 lead in the fifth.
The Blue Jays, who had jumped ahead 3-1 against starter Griffin Canning in the first, retook the lead on a Cavan Biggio solo homer and an RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the sixth.
Right-hander Junior Guerra (2-0) got the win after throwing a 1-2-3 10th inning, while Toronto reliever Ryan Borucki (1-1) was tagged with the loss.
Ohtani finished 1-for-5 with his first RBI in three games for the 5-2 Angels, who sit one game off the lead in the AL West.
The 26-year-old will not pitch this weekend because of a blister on his finger, but could return to the mound against the Kansas City Royals on the road Monday, according to manager Joe Maddon.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times